Hey LifeFirst,
Haha you sound surprisingly similar to me. I too love weightlifting! And I too was stuck in a state of spending hours on studying, but not being able to concentrate and make solid progress.
Here's how I overcame it:
1) If you do weightlifting, you should know about the concept "Mind in Muscle." You need to concentrate fully on the muscle and if it is being stretched and squeezed fully by the movement. Just like studying. Put your "Mind in Mind." This is a strange concept, but it works for me.
2) State your purpose for each reading assignment or homework. This will allow your mind to filter out the BS you don't need to know. I always remind myself when I'm reading a new chapter, "My purpose is to understand enough so I can understand the next lecture and get 100 on the next exam." Simple. Everytime you find yourself deviating in concentration, restate your purpose in your mind and bam it's like your subconscious mind takes over and starts absorbing the text.
3) I am definitely not at the epitome of work habits, but in terms of efficiency these techniques have allowed me to absorb tons in a matter of minutes.
You can do it!
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